Parents of students under the Cambridge Board were surprised and thankful to discover that the Board allows for students who have physical disabilities to have some support while answering examination papers. The extra help aims to place physically disabled students on the same playing field as other students.
Some schools have provided students with poor vision with helpers who read out their questions and then write the answers that the students dictate.
Three City School students have availed the facility. O-level students Hamna Hatif and Junaid Jamshaid Ghauri and A-level student Nabeeha Ahmad. Hatif, who has zero vision, scored two A’s with the aid of a writer-scribe.
“This facility has been so helpful. It’s good at last to be in control. It’s easier to solve problems through a writer-scribe,” Hatif said.
She added, “Obviously, there is a difference in what you say and what the other person understands, so human error remains. But I guess examiners are aware of that.”
Principal Noman Qureshi said, “We try to help students and parents as much as possible. We develop a case for each student and forward it to the board along with the doctor’s diagnosis and special arrangement forms. They reply telling us how we should proceed.”
Parents said that when they found out about the facility, they were amazed that there was such concern. Ghauri’s father said, “An ordinary child would solve three questions, in the time it would take a physically disabled child to answer one. The writer-scribe helps a student show his real skill. We could never have done this on our own. It’s discouraging for my son if we ask him to do everything on his own.” His son has impaired vision.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 20th, 2011.
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